Tips from India’s CEOs

Western CEOs could learn a thing or two from their Indian counterparts, say the authors of new research on the difference between Indian and Western bosses.

Among the most salient lessons:

• Lead with a sense of social purpose. In India, leaders can cite a specific social purpose as a business goal.

“Having a social purpose really motivates workers. If you can articulate a social purpose for your organization and take it seriously, it can have real benefits,” says Peter Cappelli, one of the study’s researchers and a professor at the Wharton School.

• Invest in employees. Indian IT firms give 60 days of training to new hires, and even experienced workers can receive months’ worth of training.

U.S. firms typically view training as a risky investment: If an employee leaves, the investment in him is lost.

• Act as a role model. “One of the things these leaders all said was more important to them than shareholder value was being a personal role model for their employees,” says Cappelli.

“If people are watching what you do, is what you’re doing really what you want your employees to be doing?”

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